smartphones

We've heard a lot about the DROID Turbo in recent times, not the least of which includes leaks that seemingly happened by accident from Verizon itself. Now, ahead of the launch later this month, the full list of specifications have leaked, as well as shots of the phone from the front and back. According to the folks at Droid Life, Motorola's upcoming smartphone will feature a 5.2-inch display with a resolution of 2560 x 1440 pixels and Gorilla Glass 3, as well as a slew of other details we have for you after the jump.

Virtual reality is upon us, and many companies have been busy at work on their own VR offerings, not to mention Google's interesting Cardboard headset. According to a report from ArcTablet, it looks like Archos is also getting into the market, with the company reportedly being set to launch its own VR headset either next month or in December. Notably, the headset will only be priced at about $38 USD, making it a budget-friendly option for those looking to trifle with the technology without significant investments.

Your DIY home repairs don't have to be archaic, at least as far as Ryobi is concerned. The power tools manufacturer has released a new line of "smart" power tools designed to work with your smartphone and a related app, which when combined give the tools additional functionality they wouldn't have on their own. This allows the tools themselves to be priced cheaper than they would if each provided the extra tech as integrated features, and gives you an excuse to pull out your phone while working.

ZTE recently launched its ZMAX handset on T-Mobile, and following it up is a smartphone with similar features and design: the ZTE Grand X Max. Unlike the ZMAX, the Grand X Max will be launching at Cricket Wireless rather than T-Mobile (in fact, there's a perk for those who switch from the latter carrier), bringing with it a budget-friendly price, a few notable features like rapid charging, and a display large enough to place the phone solidly in the "phablet" category.

The market is full of budget-centric smartphones that have started bringing with them features you wouldn't have found on such handsets a relatively short while ago. Among this emerging redefinition of lower-end smartphones is the HTC Desire 612, an entry-level Android handset that boasts both XLTE and the maker's BoomSound as its two biggest bragging points, as well as a notable 4.7-inch HD display. Verizon has detailed the phone, announcing that it will begin offering it starting tomorrow for free alongside a two-year contract.

The BlackBerry Passport, the company's recently unveiled totally square business smartphone (we've got all the details), has surfaced in images sporting a snazzy yellow gold trim around the otherwise familiar all-black bezel and keyboard. There aren't many details at this point about the new Gold Edition Passport, where it is from, nor when and where it will be available, but we do have a trio of images for you after the jump, courtesy of Crackberry where they surfaced, and the details that are presently available.

Several methods exist for getting you to stop touching your smartphone, but none actually get you away from physical interaction. From wearables to devices that check your eyes to see if you’re looking at the screen, none completely get you away from touching the screen. Elliptic Labs might, though, with “multi layer interaction”.

Though it’s in very early stages of development, Google’s Project Ara is still the coolest smartphone idea we’ve seen in a long time. Modular parts were good enough, but it might be getting a lot better. Now it seems as though you won’t have to turn your phone off for switching out parts on the fly.

The so-called bendgate hoopla have you a little worried about the future straightness of your iPhone 6? Gresso has rolled out a few cases for the handset, all made of metal with options that include 18ct gold. The prices start $90, and stretch into the thousands.

The CEO of the app StealthGenie has been arrested under charges of selling spyware. The app allows users to monitor another user's smartphone without their knowledge, providing information on things like text messages and emails. Maker Hammad Akbar was arrested in Los Angeles.